John Slade impresses at Assen SX
By Words: Leen van der Sluis Photos: Bert van der Sluis on 3rd Nov 26
John Slade Junior flew the British flag with nine wins from nine starts as Dutch Supercross returned after a seven-year absence. Matt Bayliss reached Saturday’s SX2 main event, while Jordi Tixier and Noah Ludwig claimed the King and Prince of Assen titles at the event’s long-awaited tenth edition.
Held at Expo Hal alongside the TT Circuit from October 30 to November 1, the meeting marked a fresh start for an established fixture on the European indoor calendar. The first nine editions took place in Zuidbroek, but the planned 2020 anniversary meeting fell victim to the pandemic. The Eurohal’s subsequent use as accommodation for asylum seekers prevented a return to the original venue. New organisers Arnold de Roo and Albert Nieuwenhuijs took over under Expo Hal Assen B.V., with former organisers Pepijn de Haan and Sake Lemstra supporting the handover. Belgian track builder Freddy Verherstraeten supplied the indoor challenge.
Friday gave regional and national riders their own opportunity to race under the roof, before the international SX1 and SX2 fields took centre stage over the weekend.
Slade was the outstanding British performer. The English youngster, known as ‘Little John’, swept all three 85cc races on Friday and never loosened his grip. Three more wins followed on Saturday, with Germany’s Lenny Herbig and Eddie Haustein completing the day’s podium. Slade then finished the job on Sunday, taking another clean sweep ahead of Herbig and Frank Bishop. That made nine victories from nine races and maximum points on every day.
It was another reminder of Slade’s indoor credentials following his British Arenacross Supermini success earlier this year. Bishop, also familiar to British Arenacross followers, earned third overall on Friday and returned to the podium on Sunday with three third-place finishes.
BBR SX Team’s Bayliss faced a much tougher route through the international SX2 programme.
Fifth in his Saturday heat sent him into the last-chance race, which he won. Seventh in his semi-final was followed by a place in the 14-rider main, where he completed all 12 laps to finish 12th. Sunday began with fourth in his heat, but seventh in the semi-final again left him needing to recover through the last-chance race. Sixth there brought his afternoon to an end before the main event.
Jake Preston also had to work through the SX1 qualifying races. Eighth in his Saturday heat and fifth in the last-chance race left him outside the final. On Sunday he placed ninth in his heat and seventh in the last-chance race, again missing the main.
Former MX2 world champion Tixier made the first decisive move in SX1. After winning his heat, the Frenchman topped Saturday’s Superpole with a 27.899-second lap, just 0.114 seconds quicker than Brice Maylin. Nico Koch was third
Maylin led away in the final, but Tixier took over and controlled the 15-lapper for Bleekinfra Racing/JT911. American AMA Arenacross champion Ryan Breece brought Team Groot/CK-SX Racing home second, 4.894 seconds adrift, with Koch completing the podium. Adrien Escoffier finished fourth ahead of Maylin and Paul Haberland. Maxime Desprey, a heat winner earlier in the evening, could manage only eighth.
Desprey put that right on Sunday. Although Tixier again topped Superpole, Desprey led every recorded lap of the final. Breece held second throughout, while Tixier had to climb from fifth. The Saturday winner worked past Maylin and then Koch to secure third, but Desprey was already heading for victory. The Bruggen Tweewielers rider finished 4.018 seconds clear of Breece, with Tixier another two seconds back. Koch took fourth ahead of Maylin and Calvin Fonvieille.
Victory on Saturday and third on Sunday earned Tixier the King of Assen crown, while Breece supplied two consistent runner-up finishes.
The SX2 honours changed hands dramatically.
Frenchman Mickaël Lamarque won his heat and semi-final on Saturday before taking the main-event victory for VMZ Racing.
Noah Ludwig led early, but Lamarque took charge and finished 3.538 seconds ahead of American Jesson Turner. Jules Pietre fought through to third, followed by Julien Lebeau and Ludwig.
Sunday appeared to be heading Turner’s way.
After winning his semi-final and Superpole, the American moved past early leader Ludwig and spent most of the 12-lap final in front. A late slide in a corner cost him the lead, however, dropping him to fifth before he lost another position.
Ludwig needed no second invitation. The German regained the advantage and took the win for Mulders Motoren, also setting the fastest race lap at 28.565 seconds. Preston Boespflug finished second, 3.909 seconds behind, while Hamden Hudson charged forward to complete the podium. Killian Poll and Lebeau followed, with Turner left sixth. Saturday winner Lamarque finished ninth.
Ludwig’s fifth-and-first scorecard secured the Prince of Assen title.
